Sirius's Funeral
by Phantom Quill
Summary: "Dearly Beloved. We are gathered here today to mourn the death and celebrate the life of our dear friend, Sirius Black..." *CHAPTER TWO UP!*
1. One

Sirius's Funeral:   
  
"Dearly Beloved. We are gathered here today to mourn the death and celebrate the life of our dear friend, Sirius Black. Though he was known to many of you as the convicted murderer who escaped from Azkaban prison, Sirius is, henceforth, cleared of all charges, and will forever remain embedded in our hearts..."  
The preacher gave his sermon to the small congregation at Sirius's remembrance service. Harry looked around at the familiar faces he knew so well. Ron, his arm around a crying Ginny, seemed shaken but moved by the words of the sermon. Hermione was struggling to hold back tears as she clutched her black velvet hat tight and looked beyond the preacher to the cross laden altar before them.   
Lupin looked sick to the stomach. He took in several deep breaths and tightened his grip on Tonks. She was crying on his shoulder. Harry suddenly realized that Lupin was half smiling. He turned back and listened to the sermon again.  
"... and Padfoot, as he was called by his friends, was never without cause for a good prank..."  
Harry couldn't help but smile too. Sirius wouldn't have wanted them to fret and fuss over him. Lupin had stopped smiling. His eyes were still dry, but he looked very ill. He had only returned from his transformation that very morning. He had told Hermione "I don't care if I'm still covered in fur; I'm coming." For some reason Harry didn't think it was entirely a joke. Tonks dried her eyes and looked up. Lupin's grip loosened and their eyes met briefly before Tonks started crying again. It was odd for Harry to see her this way, he had always pictured her as strong. It turns out Lupin was much stronger emotionally; well, he'd have to be wouldn't he?  
Harry looked along his own aisle and around at the other people in the church. He couldn't seem to concentrate on the sermon, it was just beyond him. Mr and Mrs Weasley were looking at each other, both their faces streaked with tears. Bill was fiddling with his pony tail and looking up into the rafters. He seemed to be mouthing the word "Why?" over and over again. That was exactly what Harry had thought all the night before. If only he'd passed through the veil. He could have been with Sirius, looking down on this and having a good laugh.  
"What am I saying?" Harry suddenly thought. He shook himself a little and suddenly realised that the sermon was coming to an end.  
"And so, Sirius, to you we bid a fond farewell. We trust that you will find true happiness in the heavens above and that you will be there to welcome each of us into the light in turn..."  
Harry could hear a shuffling at the back of the church. A sudden rush flew throuh his body. "It's Sirius," he thought, "He's here. He's wondering what the hell's going on and why no-one pulled him out from behind the veil when he fell and went unconcious!" Harry turned eagerly to see not Sirius, but Snape. It seemed he had been listening to the whole sermon from the doorway. "Damn..." Harry thought. He shook himself again.   
Everyone was slowly getting up and moving to the door.  
***  
Hermione put on her hat and looked down the row to where Harry was getting up. She sighed a deep, heart-felt sigh and got up too. She looked around the people in the church. Most had donned a black suit instead of robes for the occsion. Hermione buttoned her coat up and followed Ron and Ginny out of the church.  
Snape was at the door. He seemed almost sympathetic as he watched the Weasley children filing out of the church and into the cars waiting. Almost. Hermione saw Remus and Tonks getting into the first car. Tonks was dressed in a long, black dress, her hair now long and black to match. Remus would have looked handsome had it not been for the occasion. He wore a black suit with a black shirt and tie. Though he did look very, _very_ tired.  
Heading to get into the same car, Hermione took Harry's arm and led him to it. Remus saw them coming and left the door open as he got in. Hermione smiled weakly as she got into the car and sat beside him. The back seat had been transfigured into a very large sofa. Tonks was resting her head on Remus's shoulder as he returned a smile to both Hermione and Harry as he clambered in.  
  
***  
Remus looked around the car at the motley crew he was stuck with for the journey to the Leaky Cauldron. They had rented a room for Sirius's wake and it would take them a while to get there. Remus looked across to Harry, donning a black shirt and trousers, and then to Hermione, in a formal black dress and hat, and then out of the window.  
His shoulder suddenly felt a bit wet. He looked down to see Tonks, the tears streaming from her eyes, gripping hard at his upper arm and shaking a lot. Remus tried to reassure her by putting his arm around her again. He wanted to cry too, but he wouldn't allow himself to. He had to be strong for the sake of the ladies present. He also had to be strong for Harry.  
"_Werewolves don't cry..._" He told himself inside his head.  
There was a gentle jolt and the car was moving down the road. Tonks had finally stopped crying and was sitting upright, though she was still still shaking a little. Harry was gazing out of the window. Remus turned to Hermione.  
"Are you feeling ok?" He asked her. She looked a little shaken herself, though she hadn't cried and had looked as strong as Remus during the service.  
Hermione nodded briefly, tears starting to escape her eyes. She began to cry and Harry turned to notice. Hermione leaned on Remus's shoulder and he put his arm around her, patting her back gently.  
Remus sighed slowly, looking toward the windows then back at Hermione. "Why do they all cry on me?" He questioned himself, almost smiling at the prospect of him being the Order's "shoulder to cry on".  
***  
Hermione's head rested on Remus's strong shoulder, her eyes laden with tears. She could smell a strong scent of Pepper Imps coming from Remus and guessed he must have been hungry, having missed breakfast. He had only returned from his transformation ten minutes before they were about to head off to the church.  
"I don't suppose werewolves carry alarm clocks..." She questioned in her head. Hermione supposed that was all people were doing: talking in their heads. No one had spoken for a while since Remus. She suspected nobody could stand to.  
She heard Remus trying to prevent a yawn. "Poor guy..." She thought. "He's lost almost everyone close to him now. And being a werewolf. And being in the Order. And being alone." Hermione couldn't imagine it, having to be alone for the best part of your life. She felt worse for thinking about Remus that way, and subsequently cried a lot more.  
***  
At the Leaky Cauldron Tonks went straight up to her room to sleep. The rest of the guests filed out into the large room that had been set out for the wake. Remus headed for the bar and was followed by Alastor and Mundungus.  
After ordering a treble Firewhisky and downing it almost instantly, Remus looked around the room. Hermione and Harry were talking quietly in the corner and the Weasleys were shadowing Arthur as he told them stories about Sirius and the work he'd done for the first Order of the Phoenix. Remus had stories too, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. Moody was nursing a large brew of something that resembled Muggle Guinness. Mundungus was surrounded by bottles of Butter Beer which was odd as Remus would have expected him to be drunk already.  
Remus downed another Firewhisky in a single gulp and ordered his third.  
***  
"Look at him," Hermione was saying, "That's his second Firewhisky and we've only been here five minutes! He'll be wrecked tomorrow and he hasn't even eaten anything all day!"  
Harry could see Lupin gazing around the room before gulping down yet another Firewhisky. "I don't blame him," he said in a croaky voice. He sounded like he had been crying, but he hadn't cried since he had arrived at Grimmauld Place that morning.  
"Don't say that Harry!" Hermione spoke softly, but still with that uncanny know-it-all edge to her voice. "He's drinking his fourth now! This is ridiculous! I'm going to tell Mr. Weasley!"  
And with that she left.  
***  
However, before she was even half-way there, the formal but uplifting form of Albus Dumbledore appeared at the door.  


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_Sorry to leave it on a cliff hanger! Hope you like the multiple view points idea! Please review before I write the second installment!_  
  



	2. Two

Sirius's Funeral: Part Two   
  
"Remus, if you drink another Firewhisky without eating first I shall personally remove you from these premises..." Albus told him, smiling with that familiar twinkle in his eye.  
"Duly noted." Remus said placidly, gulping down what was left of his fourth Firewhisky.  
"Out with you then!" Albus announced, smiling widely and pointing to the door.  
Remus tried to get up off his barstool and found that his legs were too weak to support him. He smiled at Albus widely. Nobody was watching them any more, nobody except Hermione.  
"Miss Granger, will you assist me in throwing Remus out of this pub and into his room?" Albus asked pleasantly.  
Hermione nodded and headed for Remus. He tried to get up again and had to lean on the bar to steady him.  
***  
Hermione and Albus worked together to get Remus to his room. He wasn't exactly drunk, he just couldn't walk very well. His mind was sound as ever, as he constantly asked his two assistants if they were okay supporting him. Little did he know that Albus had put a feather light charm on him before they left the function room. The night arrived early, as it had every day that had passed since the battle in the Department of Mysteries.  
Hermione looked out of the dark window as she, Remus and Albus headed upstairs to Remus's room. They reached the door.  
"I trust you can help Remus in Miss Granger?" Albus asked. "I fear that Harry may well occupy Remus's empty barstool if I do not return to speak with him..."  
***  
As Albus left, Remus ambled into his room with Hermione behind him. He pulled off his overcoat and threw it at the chair as he sat down on the bed. Hermione sat down next to him. She ran her hand through his ruffled brown-gray hair. He felt the warmth of her hand pass by his temples, seering with pain, and move on to his chin and come to rest on his shoulder.  
"Ok?" She asked calmly.  
He nodded, not looking up. She got up, kissed his forehead in a caring way, and left without a backward glance. Remus passed out shortly after.  
***  
Hermione decided against rejoining the party. Instead she headed to her own room and collapsed onto her bed. Many thoughts ran through her mind. Too many to count. Overwhelmed, she pulled off her funeral attire and snuggled up in bed, instantly falling asleep.  
***  
Harry gulped down a Firewhisky and slid the glass sneakily back to the barman to refill it for him. The barman passed the glass down the bar to Harry. However, as he was about to grasp it, another took it from him. Harry looked up into the smiling face of Dumbledore. He smiled drowsily.  
"How many have you had, Harry?" Dumbledore questioned.  
"Just the one." He replied.  
"Ogden's Old, powerful stuff..." Dumbledore mused, examining the glass in the light of the lantern at his side. "You're drunk already..." He stated.  
"Better than thinking straight, sir..." Harry told him. "I don't want to think straight... Not one bit, sir..."  
Dumbledore nodded. "Hmmm..." He said. "You're about as well equipped to take your drink as your father was..."  
Harry looked up. More pain. More memories he didn't have nor want to have to be told about.  
"At his own wedding he got drunk as a skunk, with Sirius if I remember rightly..." Dumbledore smiled widely. Harry couldn't help but join him.  
Harry hiccuped and headed from the bar to join Ron over in the corner.  
***  
Dumbledore watched him from the bar. He closed his eyes and thought of the tragedy all around him. He listed his closest and dearest friends:  
*Roger and Lucy - Remus's parents - murdered by Voldemort  
*Cara and Jacob - Remus's wife and first-born son - murdered by Voldemort  
*Nicholas Flamel - old school friend - died due to Voldemort's greed  
*James and Lily - Harry's parents - murdered by Voldemort  
*Malcolm, Daniella and Marcus - Cara's parents and brother - murdered by Voldemort  
*Sirius Black - Harry's godfather - murdered by Voldemort  
"Dear, dear me.." He muttered. "I think I'd better have a Firewhisky myself..."  


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_Hope you're still enjoying it guys! :) Keep r/r please!_  



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